Low carb diets - there is no way they can limit of 25 to 50 carbs a day?

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  • Bonny132
    Bonny132 Posts: 3,617 Member
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    I naturally eat low carb, I do not count carbs, never have, I have enough trouble counting calories.
    The only reason I eat low carbs is because I find protein keeps me full. Carbs generally makes me more hungry, which for me is a downwards spiral leading to me raiding the fridge.
  • klbh2010
    klbh2010 Posts: 1 Member
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    I am doing a keto diet low carbs high fat .. it's working great for me I feel better have energy after my body detoxed itself first 3 days sucks but I keep my net carbs between 28 and 32 most days I'm in the middle ..
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,302 Member
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    klbh2010 wrote: »
    I am doing a keto diet low carbs high fat .. it's working great for me I feel better have energy after my body detoxed itself first 3 days sucks but I keep my net carbs between 28 and 32 most days I'm in the middle ..
    Congrats. Continued success.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    2Poufs wrote: »
    My soft limit is 30g, although I try to keep it below 20g per day. I'll end today with 9g of net carbs. Granted, my portions right now are about half what they normally would be, so I'd still stay below 30g easily. I feel better without carbs, especially breads and pastas, and limiting those allows me to easily limit my calories without ever being hungry. It's that simple for me.

    "Can't." teehee That's funny right there.

    considering you're barely eating 1000 calories and you are barely eating any vegetables- it's not really a surprise.

    A diet consisting mostly of cheese and meat isn't really carb laden- but no one who actually eats vegetables is going to be able to keep carbs that low. It's not happening.

    I eat vegetables every day. My 3 month average total carbs is 38g. Since the veg have a fair amount of fiber my net carb average is around 20. It's insanely simple. That's the part people don't realize. Once you rid yourself of carbs, your body stops craving them. And someone else mentioned dairy as if it wouldn't fit into a low carb plan. That's true with some because many brands add sugar unnecessarily. You just don't buy those brands. I used to think it was crazy too... When I still ate carbs.

    What do you mean by craving?

    I wouldn't say I crave "carbs." I'd say I enjoy a number of carbs (largely fruit, vegetables, but also potatoes and sweet potatoes, fresh corn in season, etc.) and sometimes feel in the mood for them or look forward to eating my planned servings of them at dinner, as with any other foods I eat. I doubt the ability to enjoy carbs in this way would go away if I did keto, and I don't see why anyone would want it to (unless the goal IS to eat crazy low calories, like the person eating below 1000).

    However, I do find that I perceive a real difference in athletic performance, energy when running or biking or lifting depending on the amount of carbs I'm consuming. This is so even if I run fasted as I often do in the morning -- I perform better if I had a normal (for me) amount of carbs the day before vs. a lower carb day.

    I don't feel like I perform badly when I am lower carb -- I probably wouldn't notice it, except that I do feel better when I up the carbs. This is actually why I'm considering forcing myself to try 50% for a while to see if it also makes a difference.

    Anyway, the reason I bring this up is that this too could be perceived as my body craving carbs -- I know I naturally tend to eat lower carb when I'm less active and am more likely to feel in the mood for some potatoes or rice when I'm more active.

    I don't see that as a bad thing, but as my body telling me what it needs.



    1) "What do you mean by craving?"

    Having a strong desire to eat a certain food. The kind where you can even want it when you just ate a short time ago. And if you eat something else instead you end up still wanting the original thing anyway.

    Okay. I just wanted to find out if the way my body seems to want/respond to carbs in connection with physical activity was related to what you are talking about.

    I don't have a problem with cravings in the sense you mean. I sometimes experience them and so work the food in, but it's not carb-specific or anything that presents a problem to happiness/meeting my calorie goal. I'm assuming they did for you, or you wouldn't speak of getting rid of them as a good thing.
    2) "I doubt the ability to enjoy carbs in this way would go away if I did keto,

    Well, I guess you'll never know.

    Well, I could do keto, obviously! The broader point is that if a craving is looking forward to and enjoying a food I like, why would I want that to go away?
    But if you did Keto, you wouldn't be cooking a high carb food to look forward to... You'd be looking forward to the low carb food you were cooking... I mean... So you'd have the same exact life and experience with looking forward to your dinner. It's not like we low carbers are like "Damn! I'm having bacon wrapped scallops and buttered asparagus again! Ugh! IHML!"

    No, I get this, and you'll never find a post from me where I suggest that low carbers are miserable or don't enjoy their food.

    I like fat and hate low fat diets, but it seems do not prioritize fat as much as many low carbers (the high fat meals that get mentioned appeal to me much less than a balanced meal with some potatoes and lots and lots of veggies). That means nothing except that low carb is likely not the correct choice for me. I often say that taste preferences and satiation are reasons someone might prefer/benefit from low carb.

    The craving thing seemed to be thrown out there as a positive and we all experience cravings from time to time, so I just wanted to explore it more. I don't see cravings -- as in looking forward to and anticipating foods -- as something to want to get rid of, as this is part of my overall enjoyment of foods. So often, and in some of the posts above, it seems like a benefit of keto is supposed to be that you stop wanting to eat or thinking about foods, and for me that would be a bad thing. Sure, it would be easier to not gain weight if I had no interest in food, but I'd rather keep the interest/enjoyment in food. (Not saying you don't have it, but referring to the posts on "you won't ever think about food" or the person saying it's so easy to stay under 1200, which is not a goal I think most should have.)
    3) "and I don't see why anyone would want it to (unless the goal IS to eat crazy low calories, like the person eating below 1000)."

    It may come as a big surprise to you, but lots of overweight people have trouble not eating too much food. I don't mean they ate a couple hundred calories over a week or even a day. I mean eating a thousand or more extra calories a week. They are generally eating when they think they are hungry or have a craving or have trouble stopping at a reasonable portion usually because the food is good but maybe not particularly filling. These people are all over these boards. You'd be hard pressed to find ones that haven't had this experience at some point in their life.

    I actually don't think that real hunger is the driver for most overweight people, and even when it is I think it can be fixed for most by sensible changes in food choice. I don't think "getting rid of the desire to eat" is something that needs to happen. (And most overweight people probably DID get fat eating a couple of hundred over a week, they just kept increasing their calories as they got fatter in many cases. It's really easy to eat lots of extra calories without seeming to eat huge amounts or just by having a few indulgent meals in the week.)

    I do think hunger is an issue for some and that keto is helpful for this (and so are other forms of low carb and so can changing the balance of the diet to reduce low fiber carbs or some kinds of excess fat and increasing protein, although it really depends on the person. I find adding oil in greater quantities to my food and cream and the like don't do a thing for my hunger, whereas others have different experiences.)
    By your comment you seem to understand that Keto does help a person eat less.

    Some people, at least.

    And I accept that it likely does have an appetite killing effect on most. (I'm just questioning whether that should be portrayed as an unreserved good.)
    That it makes it fairly easy to do. So much so that it seems you acknowledge someone could significantly under eat in this way fairly simply. Well, here's another big surprise for you, lots of people need help controlling hunger so that they can be successful eating what is considered a safe deficit or even to be able to eat at maintenance. So trying to eat "crazy low calories" is actually amazingly uncommon in LC circles, also it's because we eat this way for health so... kinda defeats the purpose.

    Again, you seem more defensive here than is warranted. I agree there are reasons it's a good plan for some people. I am concerned that it is being presented as desirable for all (when I don't think it is) and am questioning the premise that killing the appetite and allowing someone to eat crazy low calories (under 1200) is a good thing. IMO, eating under 1200 (let alone under 1000) is only very rarely a good thing, so presenting it as a positive, as a reason to do keto just rings warning bells that it's being used in some cases to enable rather worrisome eating.

    Again, most people I know who do keto don't do this; they eat normal calories for dieters (not much different than what I do or did). So this is not supposed to be a slam on keto or all who do it, but expressing a concern about interest in food being considered a bad thing that ideally would go away in the context of cutting calories really low.
    I'm not an athletic person and I'm generally not into sports, but I am aware that there are big benefits for endurance sports to fat adapted people.

    This is a really specific context -- extremely long, quite slow activity vs. more intense things. If keto (different from fat adapted -- lots of us who aren't keto are perfectly capable of using fat for energy during long slow endurance activities) were as suited to sport as is claimed it would be a strategy that more used. But the point was not to say you can't be active on low carb but that the body may crave carbs in a sense related to training and again that this is not something I think is bad or that you would want to go away. It was about the question of "what specifically do you mean by craving."
    5) "I don't see that as a bad thing, but as my body telling me what it need."

    Are you under the impression that low carbers do see perfectly healthy people eating and even wanting to eat carbs as a bad thing?

    Yes, that's the impression I get from a lot of these posts -- that all of us are supposed to see having our desire to eat carbs go away or being able to stick to below 1200 calories, etc., as a positive thing.
    Is that why all the attacks on low carb eating as a way of life is constantly challenged and discouraged and all the same old misinformation about not eating vegetables or dairy keeps going around?

    (1) I don't think low carb is attacked on this forum much. For example, I consistently say that low carb is a great choice for some and that anyone interested in lowering their carbs should experiment with it. I just also say it's not necessary for weight loss and isn't right for everyone. The current trend is low carb (has been for a while) so lots of people show up assuming that you need to go low carb to lose weight, and of course it's not true, although it can be helpful to some (and is something I'd throw out as a possibility for someone struggling with hunger even after trying sensible changes to food choice and timing, etc.).

    (2) I do think some low carbers (not the majority) push low carb as inherently better for all, "healthier" and so on, and I also think that some low carbers poo-poo the importance of eating vegetables and even suggest that a diet may be healthier with no fruit (or very little) and without many vegetables. I have never said that low carbers (even keto) can't eat vegetables, as I get the net carb thing. (That said, lettuce isn't a particularly nutritious vegetable and it would drive me crazy to have to worry about the carbs in my vegetables, and some have quite a few, like brussels sprouts, although I haven't run the net numbers.)

    Anyway, I generally assume low carbers eat vegetables unless they tell me otherwise or promote not having to eat many vegetables as a selling point of low carb to newbies, which IS something I've seen more lately from a few posters.
    When somebody says their life is better without these foods try not to feel like you're being attacked because you're not. That statement isn't about you.

    ?? This seems pretty rude and uncalled for given my actual posts here. I didn't suggest that low carb was a bad idea or that I felt attacked at all. I do think low carbers sometimes start posting as if the benefits they experienced are ones that everyone should seek out so it's worth pointing out that they are not applicable to many of us.

    I really wish we could stop using words like "attack" and the like so frivolously and over-dramatically. People can have different opinions about diet -- or even, like me, think different diets work better for different people -- without it being an "attack." That someone doesn't agree with you (and I'm not even sure we are disagreeing that much) doesn't mean they are "attacking" you or feeling "attacked."

    I only have a minute to make a response so I can't be very thorough.
    I replied to your post specifically because I felt like your question and other points covered different areas that often come up all in one post.
    I didn't feel that you were being particularly ugly toward low carb. I did get defensive, as I am defending my way of eating because it's great for me and lots of other people. And It's hard to separate when replying like that what is directly answering your question and what is just elaborating on other things I felt needed to be said for the general audience. I actually thought about making a separate post so you didn't think my comments at the end were directed at you but... I just kept writing. I apologize because sounding rude wasn't my intention.
    I know you feel low carb doesn't get attacked but I definitely feel it does. I actually avoid the main forums for this exact reason. As soon as one of us corrects a misleading or downright wrong statement, the full heated debate begins.
    And the idea that people lose all interest in food is said so dramatically, probably only by people that were confined with thoughts of eating and cravings that created problematic overeating. It doesn't mean we don't get hungry. It doesn't mean we aren't happy and getting enjoyment when we eat. Those statements are probably made by people that struggled with it for many many years.
    Telling a chronic overeater with serious appetite control issues to simply eat smaller sensible meals is probably not going to help them. If someone is considering low carb in the first place it's probably because they either want to lower their insulin response significantly and immediately or other health issue or they have heard that it makes appetite control better. When we chime in supporting these people, we are constantly made to defend this way of eating. Since eating smaller sensible meals is the standard diet we've heard all our lives, we pretty much assume that people already understand that eating less is generally how it works and that they know a person can eat carbs and lose weight, but I also think they must find something about low carb appealing for a reason.
    Anyway, this is how every post about low carb turns out.
    Constantly being defended and explaining our reasoning. It's rather exhausting.

    That was very nicely said. Thank you.
  • nataliebordeauxx
    nataliebordeauxx Posts: 94 Member
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    Please send all uneaten carbs to me for proper disposal thx.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »

    if it makes you happy to see it that way- delusional as it may be.

    Delusional ? The rest of the planet generally measures carbohydrates and reports them as such, doing the same separately for fibre.

    "Total carbohydrates by difference" are largely confined to North America, I have never seen their attraction beyond saving money on analysis.
    I have never- and no one I know in my personal life tracks fiber.

    You can't go around claiming low carb when you're consuming an absurd amount of vegetables- it doesn't make the other carbs just vanish- you're still consuming them.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I didn't feel that you were being particularly ugly toward low carb. I did get defensive, as I am defending my way of eating because it's great for me and lots of other people. And It's hard to separate when replying like that what is directly answering your question and what is just elaborating on other things I felt needed to be said for the general audience. I actually thought about making a separate post so you didn't think my comments at the end were directed at you but... I just kept writing. I apologize because sounding rude wasn't my intention.

    Thank you for this. I really do appreciate it. We can agree to disagree about the general forum and who is being aggressive/negative lately. I see a LOT of low carb posts that assert that "carbs aren't necessary" (including vegetables) and that lower carb is inherently healthier, so I think a lot of times people are responding to that, but I'm sure it does get confused. I always try to make it clear that I think low carb can be a good choice.
    And the idea that people lose all interest in food is said so dramatically, probably only by people that were confined with thoughts of eating and cravings that created problematic overeating. It doesn't mean we don't get hungry. It doesn't mean we aren't happy and getting enjoyment when we eat. Those statements are probably made by people that struggled with it for many many years.

    Fair point. Another thing that probably gets distorted by how it gets said, but when I see people saying that and eating really, really low calories it worries me. That said, as I mentioned before, most low carbers I know eat perfectly normal calories, even maintenance calories.
    If someone is considering low carb in the first place it's probably because they either want to lower their insulin response significantly and immediately or other health issue or they have heard that it makes appetite control better.

    In a perfect world this would be true, but quite often these days people seem to have simply heard that it's the correct way (or a better way) to lose weight, often without a clue of how to do it right, without having tried other things, and often without actually knowing what a carb is -- one thing that bothers me in these discussions is the idea that all carbs are "bad" or "unhealthy." (This is also probably why people think veggies are being dismissed, as well as the fact that some rather prolific low carb posters like to talk about the benefits of NO carb diets.)

    For what it's worth, I really don't see any harm for even the people I am talking about to try low carb if they want, and I never try to talk people out of low carbing.
    Since eating smaller sensible meals is the standard diet we've heard all our lives, we pretty much assume that people already understand that eating less is generally how it works and that they know a person can eat carbs and lose weight, but I also think they must find something about low carb appealing for a reason.

    Yeah, these days I don't think that's necessarily a fair assumption, although I understand why you would approach it that way and consider it reasonable.

    I really do think there's no need to defend and explain low carb other than "it works for me." I see the fights break out when someone pops into a thread and tells a poster who said nothing about low carb to drop carbs or -- more recently -- brings up claims about how 50% of diet is inherently too many carbs for humans or that humans weren't evolved to eat carbs in any significant quantity or the rather unnecessary claim that carbs aren't necessary at all. These are all the reasons for the most contentious carb-related discussions recently, anyway.

    But for what it's worth I do think it's unnecessary to ask/grill posters who say they are going low carb why they are doing that or to suggest it's a bad idea, and I see that happen too. (I try to post helpfully in those cases although I usually do toss in a "not necessary to lose weight although some find it helps with satiety.")
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    <snip> That said, lettuce isn't a particularly nutritious vegetable...

    It might not be particularly nutritious (I have no idea if it is or isn't) but it is nutritious. A serving of romaine (85g) is only 14 calories and provides 148% vitamin A, 109% Vitamin K and 29% Folate among other things.

    "It is also a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Folate, Iron, Potassium and Manganese." Source

    Only on MFP would eating lettuce be worthy of this much commentary.

    I only responded to a comment made to me. I don't think it's worthy of that much commentary.

    Enjoy your lettuce!
  • Leslierussell4134
    Leslierussell4134 Posts: 376 Member
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    2Poufs wrote: »
    My soft limit is 30g, although I try to keep it below 20g per day. I'll end today with 9g of net carbs. Granted, my portions right now are about half what they normally would be, so I'd still stay below 30g easily. I feel better without carbs, especially breads and pastas, and limiting those allows me to easily limit my calories without ever being hungry. It's that simple for me.

    "Can't." teehee That's funny right there.

    ETA: Standard disclaimer... No one should eat the way I'm eating without direction and supervision from a doctor specializing in weight loss.

    And what do you do about fiber? Are you worried about intestinal issues? Slow down, inpaction and obstruction?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    2Poufs wrote: »
    My soft limit is 30g, although I try to keep it below 20g per day. I'll end today with 9g of net carbs. Granted, my portions right now are about half what they normally would be, so I'd still stay below 30g easily. I feel better without carbs, especially breads and pastas, and limiting those allows me to easily limit my calories without ever being hungry. It's that simple for me.

    "Can't." teehee That's funny right there.

    ETA: Standard disclaimer... No one should eat the way I'm eating without direction and supervision from a doctor specializing in weight loss.

    And what do you do about fiber? Are you worried about intestinal issues? Slow down, inpaction and obstruction?

    fiber keeps you more regular than anything else- fat usually is what you need for any back up.
  • Leslierussell4134
    Leslierussell4134 Posts: 376 Member
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    2Poufs wrote: »
    My soft limit is 30g, although I try to keep it below 20g per day. I'll end today with 9g of net carbs. Granted, my portions right now are about half what they normally would be, so I'd still stay below 30g easily. I feel better without carbs, especially breads and pastas, and limiting those allows me to easily limit my calories without ever being hungry. It's that simple for me.

    "Can't." teehee That's funny right there.

    ETA: Standard disclaimer... No one should eat the way I'm eating without direction and supervision from a doctor specializing in weight loss.

    And what do you do about fiber? Are you worried about intestinal issues? Slow down, inpaction and obstruction?
    JoRocka wrote: »
    2Poufs wrote: »
    My soft limit is 30g, although I try to keep it below 20g per day. I'll end today with 9g of net carbs. Granted, my portions right now are about half what they normally would be, so I'd still stay below 30g easily. I feel better without carbs, especially breads and pastas, and limiting those allows me to easily limit my calories without ever being hungry. It's that simple for me.

    "Can't." teehee That's funny right there.

    ETA: Standard disclaimer... No one should eat the way I'm eating without direction and supervision from a doctor specializing in weight loss.

    And what do you do about fiber? Are you worried about intestinal issues? Slow down, inpaction and obstruction?

    fiber keeps you more regular than anything else- fat usually is what you need for any back up.

    I don't have a reference at the moment because I'm eating breakfast out on my app. Just thinking about the ediology of intestinal issues over time and coming up with the same thing. Soluble and insoluble keeps the intestines challenged and provides bulk cleaning the sides as it moves. There is much evidence the supports recommended amounts of fiber could support reducing risks of colon and rectal cancers and development of other motility issues. I'll agree that the evidence is mixed in some areas.
    With all the to consider, and fiber not having much effect on blood glucose if at all, and if the goal was to maintain ketosis, why not shoot for net carbs and ensure fiber??
    Personal choice maybe, but with activity, as I've seen in myself, ketosis can be maintained with as much as 50 to 60 total carbs and 25 to 30 net...maybe more.
    IBS, diverticulitis and other intestinal motility issues are not something I want 25 years from now because I didn't eat enough fiber. I see this too often in many older people (50+ years)
    Just some food for thought and I'll be looking for some well designed research later today. If you know of some, please bring forth.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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    Low carb is not a fad diet. The Ketogenic diet has been around for something like 100 years, since at least 1911, perhaps even earlier (yes, really) except that it was called something else back then (my apologies, I don't remember the original name right now). I've been following a ketogenic lifestyle now for just about a year and I've eliminated 111.2 pounds. I typically eat less than 50 total carbs per day and I find it very easy to do. Here is my carb intake for the past week as an example:

    Day; Carbs - Fiber = Net Carbs
    Wed.: 31 - 11 = 20
    Tue.: 28 - 13 = 15
    Mon.: 32 - 14 = 18
    Sun.: 42 - 15 = 27
    Sat.: 35 - 14 = 21
    Fri.: 27 - 13 = 14
    Thurs.: 38 - 13 = 25

    And I'm not even super low as far as keto diets go. There are people out there who ae keto fanatics and eat 10 carbs, even 0 carbs per day. How they do it, I don't know but I'm happy with what I'm doing and where I am because it is working so well for me.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Just to be clear- I wasn't saying fiber is bad- or you shouldn't get it- but I'm staying people blow it way out of proportion. it helps pack things together, and helps feed the critters in your gut; and if you eat a nice variety of food you shouldn't have to worry about not getting enough

    For grins I just checked mine (first time ever actually) and without doing all the maths for the last 4 months- it looks like I average right around 20 grams- the recommended levels are 25 for women- but there isn't anything that shows that less than that is harmful.

    From what I have read- fiber doesn't reduce the risk of cancers.

    This article comes across as very spammy- but has some interesting studies linked within it.
    http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-fiber-good-for-you/

    I have a lot of blocked websites at work- so that's the best I can do for now. earliest I can come back to update with anything of substance will probably be sunday- I have a long weekend starting at noon tomorrow from work LOL
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I think fibre is more helpful for moving carbs through than anything. Since going pretty low carb (usually under 30g total carbs) I've found that things are actually moving more easily. There is also less mass.

    My fibre is usually well below 10g per day.

    I've also read that the thought that fibre prevents colon cancer has been shown to be false. And in my case, perdiabetes, eating LCHF will help prevent future motility issues or gastroparesis.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,302 Member
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    CHOW interview of Dean Karzanes

    "Last time I interviewed you, you told me you ate entire pizzas and entire pies on your ultralong runs. Do you do that anymore?

    No, I’ve evolved. When I was running the marathons I was eating a lot of Nature’s Path energy bars, Clif Shot Bloks by the handfuls, and drinking Accelerade, which has protein in it."

    Interesting Paleo foods.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    2Poufs wrote: »
    My soft limit is 30g, although I try to keep it below 20g per day. I'll end today with 9g of net carbs. Granted, my portions right now are about half what they normally would be, so I'd still stay below 30g easily. I feel better without carbs, especially breads and pastas, and limiting those allows me to easily limit my calories without ever being hungry. It's that simple for me.

    "Can't." teehee That's funny right there.

    ETA: Standard disclaimer... No one should eat the way I'm eating without direction and supervision from a doctor specializing in weight loss.

    And what do you do about fiber? Are you worried about intestinal issues? Slow down, inpaction and obstruction?
    JoRocka wrote: »
    2Poufs wrote: »
    My soft limit is 30g, although I try to keep it below 20g per day. I'll end today with 9g of net carbs. Granted, my portions right now are about half what they normally would be, so I'd still stay below 30g easily. I feel better without carbs, especially breads and pastas, and limiting those allows me to easily limit my calories without ever being hungry. It's that simple for me.

    "Can't." teehee That's funny right there.

    ETA: Standard disclaimer... No one should eat the way I'm eating without direction and supervision from a doctor specializing in weight loss.

    And what do you do about fiber? Are you worried about intestinal issues? Slow down, inpaction and obstruction?

    fiber keeps you more regular than anything else- fat usually is what you need for any back up.

    I don't have a reference at the moment because I'm eating breakfast out on my app. Just thinking about the ediology of intestinal issues over time and coming up with the same thing. Soluble and insoluble keeps the intestines challenged and provides bulk cleaning the sides as it moves. There is much evidence the supports recommended amounts of fiber could support reducing risks of colon and rectal cancers and development of other motility issues. I'll agree that the evidence is mixed in some areas.
    With all the to consider, and fiber not having much effect on blood glucose if at all, and if the goal was to maintain ketosis, why not shoot for net carbs and ensure fiber??
    Personal choice maybe, but with activity, as I've seen in myself, ketosis can be maintained with as much as 50 to 60 total carbs and 25 to 30 net...maybe more.
    IBS, diverticulitis and other intestinal motility issues are not something I want 25 years from now because I didn't eat enough fiber. I see this too often in many older people (50+ years)
    Just some food for thought and I'll be looking for some well designed research later today. If you know of some, please bring forth.

    Depending on the type of IBS you have (and I found out the hard way) low carb could be one of the most horrible things you could do to your disease if you have it. Low carbing actually changes your gut bacteria, and in some cases of IBS not in a way you would want it changed (more fat-feeding kinds that could cause gut inflammation and less carb fermenting kinds that could protect against it)

    While low carb did not work for me for various reasons (food preferences, poor blood sugar control, gastro issues..etc) I feel sometimes things get comical and diets nearly take on a cultish hue and carry some kind of moral attachment/feeling of superiority. All macro distributions and food choices from 80/10/10 to keto are the same to me: a whatever-floats-your-boat kind of deal where no one diet is better than the other. Heck, I don't even mind fad diets, cleanses, or VLC diets as long as the person doing is well informed and doing them for some personal reason unrelated to some magical claims. Our body is so damn amazing that an average person can handle nearly any dietary combination and deploy various mechanisms to adapt. My only issue is when someone does this diet or that because they believe it's the only way to lose weight, even though it makes them miserable, in which case I find myself wanting to say something.. because I really would have loved to hear something when my diet was making me miserable.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    And what do you do about fiber? Are you worried about intestinal issues? Slow down, inpaction and obstruction?

    See -

    Ho KS, et al. Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms. World J Gastroenterol 2012;18(33):4593-4596

    The clue is in the title.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    You can't go around claiming low carb when you're consuming an absurd amount of vegetables- it doesn't make the other carbs just vanish- you're still consuming them.

    Who does that ? A pound of veg is as much as I would eat in a day, that can have less than 25g of carbohydrates (NB not American "Total carbs by difference" but Carbohydrates).
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I took just the non starchy vegetables from today's lunch and breakfast and a prior night's dinner (haven't had dinner yet) and got 38 net carbs. I'm sure eating brussels and carrots twice didn't help, but this was not an especially atypical total for me, and there are lots of other vegetables in the same ballpark (like celeriac, green beans, beets, for just a few I've eaten recently and likely will eat tonight).

    Not at all saying you can't do keto and eat lots of vegetables, but I would have to worry about the carbs in my veggies or the amount of veggies I ate more than I'd personally like to. (Of course more significantly these meals also included blueberries, cantaloupe, and potatoes, and I have some fresh local corn I'm planning to eat soon, etc.)

    Which obviously means nothing for what anyone else should do, but just the idea that it's a crazy thing to think would be difficult is wrong.

    Breakfast
    38 g spinach (0)
    38 g mushrooms (1)
    93 g broccoli (4)

    Lunch
    67 g brussels sprouts (3)
    100 g carrots (7)
    117 g cauliflower (3)

    Dinner:
    129 g cucumber (4)
    2 cups arugula (0)
    27 g onions (3)
    1.3 small whole tomato (not sure why I didn't weigh) (4)
    52 g carrots (4)
    120 g brussels sprouts (6)
  • mirandadawn2
    mirandadawn2 Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    7 years ago I lost over 115lbs on a low carb high fiber diet which I maintained until the last 18 months. Since graduating school in May I've had about 35 lbs to re-lose. I've been on MFP for over 100 days now and until 3 days ago I had lost 11ish pounds. Not bad steady progress. However, I was ready to try something different so I'm resulting back to a low carb diet for 15 days to see what happens. Today is the end of day 3 and I feel great. I'm less bloated and not hungry at all.
    So to your questions...
    I eat about 50 carbs per day, 25 grams fiber (25 net carbs)
    A low carb diet to me is 100 grams total per day regardless of fiber. I honestly don't know why I fight this form of eating, because it tends to work best for me out of all other approaches.
    I'm very active, so with 50ish total carbs per day it's easy for me to maintain Ketosis. I too love fruit and veggies, but with 50g carbs i find it easy to get both in. I eat berries and avocados mostly, but whatever I want as long as it fits.
    Again, day 3 and I'm looking forward to the progress I'll make. I have an open diary and you're welcome to add me if you'd like to see what I've been eating. Calories set to 1490 for a slower loss.

    What is in your high fiber diet? I'm having a problem getting in enough fiber. Thanks!